11. Major NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Irish Government or the Director of National Service is the responsible authority for recruiting in Ireland; and what civilian appointments have recently been made to deal with recruiting and what further appointments it is intended to make?
§ Mr. SAMUELSRecruiting in Ireland will be under the direction of the Irish Government. As far as possible the work of recruiting will be carried out by voluntary effort, but some appointments will, no doubt, have to be made. Steps are being taken to raise local committees in each district. I can make no further state at present.
§ General McCALMONTCan the hon. and learned Gentleman say whether the appointments announced in the Press are unauthorised?
§ Mr. SAMUELSI am not responsible for anything that appears in the Press.
§ Mr. ROCHMay I ask whether Colonel Maclean has been appointed Chief Director of Recruiting in Ireland?
§ Mr. SAMUELSI am not in a position to make any further statements.
Major NEWMANWhy are these statements in the Press not submitted to the Press Censor first of all—they are very misleading?
12. Major NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the immediate intentions of the Irish Government with regard to the recruiting problem, as explained by the special correspondents of newspapers published in this country, are submitted to the Irish Press Censor before transmission and represent the Government's policy; whether it is intended to use a large display of picture posters, one of the most striking of which will be a. figure of an Irish kiltie in the national colours and adornments of the garb worn in the West; whether prominent landlords and popular peers have been asked and signified their intention 2350 of raising regiments; whether American regiments with their priests will be brought to Ireland to march about the country; and is he aware that the licence of description allowed to these special correspondents will have the effect of bringing ridicule on the endeavour about to be made to attract recruits?
§ Mr. SAMUELSThe Chief Secretary is not responsible for the articles written by newspaper correspondents, and the fact that they may be submitted to and passed by the Press Censor does not make them authoritative statements of Government policy. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative. With regard to the rest of the question, my right hon. Friend can make no statement at present.
18. Colonel Sir J. HOPEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will explain on what basis the equitable ratio of recruits from Ireland, stated in the Lord Lieutenant's Proclamation to be 50,000 before the 1st October, has been calculated; and if he will give the reasons for the difference between this 50,000 and 161,239 given in Cd. 8390 as the estimated number of men available for military service on the 15th October, 1916, after making all deductions for men whose labour was considered indispensable and for physically unfit men?
§ Mr. SAMUELSThe Return compiled by the Irish Registrar-General, to which the hon. Member alludes, estimated the number of men available for military service in Ireland in October, 1916, at 161,239, but Lord Wimborne's report on recruiting In Ireland issued earlier in the same year estimated the number available at about 100,000. Since October, 1916, about 40,000 men have left Ireland for munition and other Government work in Great Britain, and over 20,000 have joined His Majesty's forces. About 1,500,000 additional acres have been put under tillage in 1917 and in the present season, which entails a great increase in the amount of agricultural labour required. It is true that this is counterbalanced to some extent by the youths who have reached military age in the interval and by the stoppage of emigration; but all the circumstances having been carefully considered, it was decided that 50,000 men would represent an equitable contribution from Ireland.
§ Colonel YATEConsidering the population of Ireland in proportion to that of 2351 England, Scotland, and Wales, would not 450,000 recruits be nearer the mark as to the number available in Ireland than the 50,000 now put down?
§ General CROFTAnd will my hon. and learned Friend compare it with Australia?
§ Sir E. CARSONWill he take into account the large number who have come over to Great Britain for munitions and other work who will now be liable for service?
§ Mr. KINGAre not all these suggested comparisons misleading, because the average age of the population in Ireland is so very much higher?